jQuery Grid Plugin - jqGrid

Many thanks for your reply, however I am still having trouble with the script recognising any information at all sent by the search.

The Javascript I am using for my table is:

var lastsel;
  $("#list").jqGrid({
    url:'example.php',
    datatype: 'xml',
    hidegrid: false,
    mtype: 'GET',
    colNames:['field1','field2', 'field3','field4','field5'],
    colModel :[
      {name:'field1', index:'id', width:55, hidden:true, key:true, resizable:true},
      {name:'field2', index:'ticker', width:75, resizable:true,editable:true, search:true},
      {name:'field3', index:'name', width:200, align:'left', resizable:true,editable:true, search:true},
      {name:'field4', index:'alias', width:200, align:'left', resizable:true,editable:true, search:true},
      {name:'field5', index:'details', width:400, align:'left', sortable:false, resizable:true,editable:true, search:true}
    ],
    pager: '#pager',
    height:'100%',   
    rowNum:10,
    rowList:[50,100,200],
    sortname: 'ticker',
    sortorder: 'asc',
    viewrecords: true
  });

$("#list").jqGrid(
    'navGrid',"#pager",
    {edit:true,add:true,del:true},
    {}, // edit options
    {}, // add options
    {}, //del options
    {multipleSearch:true} // search options
);

In example PHP I have the code:

$filters = json_decode($_REQUEST['filters'],true);

if($filters==""){
    echo "arbitrary text to break the reposnse and give a blank table";
}

This should mean that when the table loads its blank as the data output is 'wrong' due to the text above appearing, but when search criteria is entered it is propogated as appropriate.

However, it seems regardless, $filters remains empty.

Any help hugely appreciated!